I wrote last year about how I planned to find myself a quiet, cosy corner in which to contemplate, mug of mulled wine in hand and festive tunes on the stereo, thinking over the good times I’ve shared with family and friends during the year, and see what potential gift ideas this process might spark. A ritual like this allows you to use conversations or observations from time spent with your loved ones to pinpoint a gift that might have far more lasting value – or build stronger bonds between you – than a throwaway gift grabbed in a hurry to fulfil a quota.

I’m a firm believer in gifts having stories behind them, whether that be a story personal to yourself and the giftee, one that resonates with you from the object’s designer-maker, or simply one about how you stumbled across the gift in-store and why it sparked a memory or thought about the recipient. These stories should be shared with the gift, either in a handwritten note or in person, to further enrich the gift-giving and receiving experience for all.

This next instalment in my Shop Small guide focuses on gifts under £50, including calming hand-blended oils crafted in small batches in Venice, California; ‘fresh perspective’ day planners designed to help start each day with positivity and purpose, and end with a sense of accomplishment and progress; and ethical, sustainable spirits produced using fairly traded ingredients..